Module 7 Safety

Safety

Freedom from danger, harm, or risk, central to nursing care.

Patient Safety Goals

Standards set by the Joint Commission to improve patient safety in health care settings.

Standard Precautions

Infection control practices mandated by the CDC to prevent transmission of diseases.

Blame-free environment

A culture in which staff can report safety issues without fear of punishment, promoting transparency.

Fall Prevention

Strategies implemented in healthcare settings to reduce the risk of patient falls.

R.A.C.E.

An acronym for response actions in case of fire: Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish.

Near Miss

A potential error that was identified and avoided before causing harm.

Sentinel Event

A serious, unexpected occurrence resulting in harm to a patient.

Medication Errors

Mistakes related to prescribing, dispensing, or administering medication.

Emergency Codes

Color codes used to identify specific emergency situations in healthcare facilities.

Barriers to Reporting Safety Events

Factors that inhibit healthcare personnel from reporting safety incidents, such as fear of repercussions or lack of time.

Sentinel Events in Healthcare

Unexpected events resulting in serious harm or death, prompting thorough investigation and preventative measures.

Reportable events

Pressure injuries, surgical and equipment errors, delays in care and missing properties, communication errors.

Patient identification goal

Use at least two identifiers (e.g. name and date of birth)

Improve staff communication goal

Timely sharing of test results

Medication safety goal

Labelling unlabelled medication and ensuring proper medication reconciliation

Infection prevention Goal

Adhere to CDC handwashing guidelines

Patient safety risks goal

Identifying and managing suicide risks

Code red

Fire/smoke- call 911

Code blue

Adult medical emergency- CPR team response

Code White

Paediatric medical emergency

Code pink

Infant abduction

Code purple

Child abduction

Code green

Missing high risk patient

Cody yellow

Bomb threat

Code grey

Combative person

Code silver

Hostage/weapon/active shooter

Code orange

Hazardous material spill/release

Factors that affect patient safety

Toxic chemicals and vapors, needle sticks and sharp injuries, drug exposures and radiation, infectious diseases and workplace violence.

HIPAA

Health insurance portability and accountability act

QSEN

Quality and safety education for Nurses

JCAHO

Joint commission on accreditation on healthcare organizations